You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take so be like Sogeking and always shoot your shot

by Hijikyra

Summary:

“Oi shitty-cook! I bet I can defeat more marines than you!”

“Oh you’re on, shitty swordsman,” he says, pulling out another cigarette and taking a hurried drag before continuing. “And what will your punishment be when you inevitably lose?” he quips, eyes glimmering with humor at Zoro’s answering scowl.

“I don’t know,” Zoro shrugs, “Thought I could be your errand boy for the next three islands or something.”

or

Zoro keeps challenging Sanji to bets and Sanji can't figure out his endgame.

Chapter 1

“Oi shitty-cook! I bet I can defeat more marines than you!” Zoro declares from around where Wado sits in his mouth, looking almost bored at the challenge (or lack thereof) that this batch of marines are putting up.

It’s testament to their relationship that Sanji doesn’t even miss a beat at Zoro’s proclamation, taking down three marines with ease with a single kick. He understands Zoro’s uninterested look now, since he hadn’t even put half of his weight behind it. 

“In your dreams, marimo!” he scoffs, lighting up a cigarette while effortlessly dispatching another two marines who had the gall to try and sneak up on Zoro. He knows the guy would have had it covered, but he’ll never miss an opportunity to needle him. “See? I just had to save your stinky ass. Honestly, what would you do without me?” he sighs dramatically, barely holding back a chuckle at Zoro’s narrowed eye.

“You wanna play it that way curly-brow, huh? Fine. Let’s make it official then. Let’s see who can take down the most marines and the loser gets a punishment,” he proclaims, holding out a slightly bloody hand to shake. Sanji wrinkles his nose in disgust at the offered item. Zoro rolls his eyes but does, however, quickly wipe his hand on his haramaki and Sanji makes a mental note to wrestle the disgusting thing off of him no matter the cost to wash it later.

If he’s honest it was probably due for a wash about a month ago, but Sanji’s been far too lenient with the man recently. He supposes that’s what you get when you’re in love with the sentient algaehead.

Uh. He means tolerate. Yeah he tolerates him for the good of the crew! He totally doesn’t think about kissing his stupid handsome ugly face, or smothering himself in his ridiculous tits, or having his massive strong arms wrap around him as they talk late into the night. Those thoughts have absolutely never crossed his mind even once over the past few years. Quite the opposite, really!

He’s brought back from his internal monologue by a sword flashing over his left shoulder, slicing a marine who was clearly trying to make up for his momentary distraction. Shit! Now he can’t boast about saving Zoro’s ass later. He finishes his cigarette in three quick drags, annoyance creeping into every breath. Although he’s gotta hand it to this crew– for what they lack in skill, they certainly make up for it in pure balls.

Said distraction quite rudely, but unfortunately deservingly, flicks him on the forehead. He holds out his hand a second time, an almost imperceptible frown on his face. If Sanji didn’t make a habit of studying the mosshead’s reactions to all the dishes he serves (since the man is seemingly incapable of offering anything other than a grunt when asked how he likes the food)  then he’s not sure he even would have noticed.

“Oi, sort your shit out dartboard brow. What the hell’s got you so distracted anyway? Haven’t seen a single woman yet,” he grunts. Not allowing Sanji to interrupt, he quickly adds on, “So we got a bet or not?” 

Sanji eyes the, thankfully now cleaner, hand before gripping it and squeezing as tightly as he can, knowing that the freakishly strong bastard won’t even bat an eyelid at it. The smug smirk he gets in response just proves his point further. Sanji scans the surrounding area quickly, making sure that no more marines with a clear death wish have tried to catch them off guard again– but presently it seems that they’re all quite content to warily circle them.

Not that they’re ever really off guard. The previous altercation only happened because Sanji knows that the marimo always has his back. It’s one of the things he love likes- oh fuck it- loves about the guy in the first place. The implicit trust between them at all times, the seamless way they work together. They cover each other’s weaknesses, for lack of a better word, without even having to be asked. It’s second nature that Zoro protects Sanji’s hands and Sanji protects Zoro’s back. That’s simply who they are.

They’re Sanji and Zoro: The Wings of the Future Pirate King.

Zoro clears his throat, interrupting Sanji’s thoughts once again. “Seriously dude, do I need to take you to Chopper or something?” he questions, concerned eyes quickly roaming over Sanji’s body for any injuries he may have missed.

Sanji waves a dismissive hand. There’s absolutely no fucking way he can let Zoro know that he’s the cause of Sanji’s slight lack of focus. He’d never hear the end of it! Sure, recently they’ve been getting along better than usual, and sure they’ll often seek each other out for a quiet drink at night– but no way in hell does that mean that Zoro returns his feelings. It’s more likely that Zoro’s just in it for the alcohol because who in their right mind would fall in love with him ?

Aaaand he’s getting off topic again– best not to open that particular can of worms while they’re in the middle of a fight. No matter how simple this one is.

“Oh you’re on, shitty swordsman,” he says, pulling out another cigarette and taking a hurried drag before continuing. “And what will your punishment be when you inevitably lose?” he quips, eyes glimmering with humor at Zoro’s answering scowl.

“I don’t know,” Zoro shrugs, “Thought I could be your errand boy for the next three islands or something.”

Sanji jolts slightly, their usual routine not having been followed for once. He was expecting the standard (and in his head he puts on his best impression of Zoro) “Tch. As if I’d lose to the likes of you, ero-cook.” Not whatever that was. Zoro clearly sees Sanji’s confusion, his one eye widening momentarily in a flash of panic before he quickly smothers it. 

“But, uh, not that I’m gonna lose to a shitty chainsmoker like you,” he taunts, however it comes out weak and the metaphorical damage has already been done.

Sanji eyes him cautiously, sensing a faint tremor of nervousness from the man who’s normally more composed than anyone on their crew. He takes another deep drag of his cigarette, the nicotine a brief soothing hit, before chucking it on the deck and stomping it out.

“Do I need to take you to Chopper?” he questions, emphasizing his point with a finger poking at Zoro’s ample chest. “Like did you hit your head on a mossy rock when trying to return home or something?” 

Even he’ll admit that it’s not his finest insult, but he just wants to get rid of the stilted atmosphere that’s suddenly overtaken them both. It may be his imagination, but even the marines are sharing awkward glances with each other. Zoro tuts, rolling his eye for good measure and Sanji’s stomach loosens slightly with relief.

“Even moronic blondes can get lucky sometimes,” he grins, and it only grows wider at Sanji’s glare. “And besides, it’s about time you won something. I gotta be honest, it’s getting a little boring always being the one on top.”

Sanji wills his face not to flush at Zoro’s particular choice of wording, instead focusing on shutting the shitty moss the hell up. “You really must have hit your head because I clearly took down the bigger bounty only last week! You were too busy getting your swords stuck in the devil fruit user’s shitty honey!” 

Zoro grimaces at that, and Sanji does feel for him slightly. The man spent many long hours in Sanji’s galley quietly cleaning his swords until not a speck of stickiness remained.

“Whatever.”

Not one to be put off by Zoro’s dismissal, Sanji continues, “And surely having you as my pack mule would be a punishment for me rather than for you, no? Why do I have to spend my time off the ship with a man who needs to shower at least twice more a week, and who I can’t let out of my sight for more than 5 seconds otherwise it’s more than likely that he’ll somehow end up on a different fucking island!” Sanji sniffs, throwing a brief scowl at a marine who’s dared to inch a foot closer to them and scoffing when they immediately back off.

Ok so maybe there is barely any truth to what Sanji’s just said, but again, the marimo doesn’t need to know that he’s Sanji’s preferred companion when it comes to running errands. It’s not that he dislikes the others helping him out, it’s just that they all come with certain…difficulties. Except the ladies of course, but Sanji would never dare make them carry anything for him.

Chopper can sometimes get overwhelmed by all the different scents, Franky is often just a touch too loud and the speedos can be little off-putting, Brook occasionally scares the potential sellers, Sanji’s lost count of the number of different ‘I can’t carry that-itis’s Usopps said about different items, it can be a little difficult for Jinbe to manoeuvre in some small streets, and Luffy…?

He’ll never bring Luffy again after he spent all the money Nami gave him in the first two stalls after the damn rubber man devoured everything in sight, giggling with glee as he asked Sanji what every food was and if he could make it back on the Sunny.

So yes, Zoro is the best option by far, despite his directional challenges. And if he enjoys the man’s company for more…personal reasons? Then that’s between him and his fluttering heart.

Zoro, the smug bastard, simply looks at him pointedly– as if he knows that he’s Sanji’s number one choice. Which, quite frankly, is impossible because that would require him having more than one brain cell and Sanji knows for a fact that saying he even has one is being generous.

“If you can think of another punishment for me then be my guest, curly” he smirks. God Sanji wants to wipe that insufferable look off his face. Preferably with his lips, but he supposes that kicking the little shit would suffice too.

Glowering at the cocky shithead, Sanji figures a change of subject is the best course of action here. “And in the extremely unlikely scenario that I lose? What exactly will my punishment be?” he questions as he stretches his legs in anticipation, knowing that the beginning of their real fight is near. It’s more for show than anything, a form of intimidation or something like that. And if it happens to catch people’s eye for other reasons too then he certainly isn’t one to complain.

Zoro pauses, screwing up his nose in thought before waving a hand almost dismissively. To Sanji’s trained marimo eye, it looks a little forced. “Eh, I’ll figure something out.”

Well that’s mightily suspicious– Zoro had an idea ready for if he loses but not for if he wins? What the actual hell is that all about? Before Sanji can think too hard about it, let alone say anything on the matter, a bullet whizzes between the two of them, the marines clearly having grown impatient with their back and forth. Why they want to speed up their own demise Sanji cannot fathom for the life of him.

Sanji and Zoro move in sync, standing back-to-back in a matter of milliseconds. “Good luck marimo,” Sanji grins over his shoulder, “You’ll surely need it.”

Zoro matches his grin with a feral one of his own. “Yeah yeah, focus on your own battles bastard. Don’t want to be saving your distracted ass a second time today.”

Sanji kicks the bastard lightly in the calf in response, earning a chuckle from the man. The marines waste no time in attacking, trying to brute force their way through with sheer numbers. It’s only a little more challenging than previously, and more than once Sanji finds his eyes wandering to check out Zoro.

Uh. He means to check on Zoro.

The man seems just as unenthused as him– he’s even resheathed Wado for fucks sake. Sanji rolls his eyes at Zoro’s blatant lack of fervor for the fight, but he’s in much the same boat since he’s barely had to use two legs.

Before he knows it there are no marines left upright, and Zoro’s standing at his back again. They’ve both barely broken a sweat, and it leaves an uncomfortable thrum underneath Sanji’s skin. Judging from the way Zoro’s lip is curled up in a snarl, he knows the other man is feeling just as restless.

“Oi dipshit. Wanna fight?” Sanji goads, and is rewarded rather handsomely with a wild smile.

“Bring it on, bastard,” Zoro retorts, already unsheathing Wado, and Sanji pushes down the giddy feeling knowing that Zoro always treats him like his equal.

They meet in a clash of fire and steel. All the excess energy from a mediocre fight being put into matching each other blow for blow. Sanji lands a hit on Zoro’s ribs, and Zoro immediately counters with a nick to his thigh. It’s fun, in the way that trying to beat your rival/crewmate/friend/guythatyou’reinlovewith can only be. Sanji’s fascinated by the enjoyment lighting up Zoro’s eye, knowing that he’s the cause of it. He fails to suppress an almost manic grin from overtaking his expression. But when Zoro’s feral grin turns into something slightly softer, he can’t find it within himself to care very much.

Their spar ends like they normally do– with Sanji holding his foot inches away from Zoro’s head and Zoro pointing his sword straight at Sanji’s neck. A tie between equal matches. Out of breath, they drop their weapons at the same time and give each other a wry smile of acknowledgement. Side by side they wordlessly step over groaning bodies as they make their way back to the Sunny. Sanji’s quite content to bask in the comfortable silence that comes with the man walking next to him, as well as the aftermath of a good fight, but Zoro clearly has other plans as he clears his throat.

Sanji catches slight movement out of the corner of his eye as Zoro tightens his grip on his swords before speaking. “So, the bet? How many d’you get?” Zoro asks.

Oh, yeah. The bet.

Sanji doesn’t want to say he completely forgot about it, but there’s something about fighting Zoro that clears his mind in a way that not much else can. When the self-deprecating voices in his head get just a little too loud, he’ll seek the other man out. And Zoro? No matter what he’s doing, be it napping or playing with Chopper, he’ll always agree no matter what. Like he knows Sanji needs his help at that moment even when he can’t find the words to ask.

Anyway, the bet. He tuts, shaking his head disapprovingly at Zoro’s shady tactic. “Oh no you don’t, marimo. I’m not going first just so you can swoop in with a higher number. I’m not that stupid, unlike a mossy bastard next to me,” Sanji accuses.

Zoro scoffs, and meets his gaze knowingly, “Please as if I would even need to do that, or are you just delaying the inevitable because you know you already lost, huh pretty-brows?”

Sanji’s face flushes immediately and he prays that Zoro thinks it’s in anger, rather than his choice of nickname for him. He knows the man is purposely riling him up, but Sanji’s always been a little weak to Zoro’s taunts, and it’s only gotten worse since he realized his feelings for him.

“Fine shithead, have it your way so I don’t have to hear any more of your bitching. 79,” he says smugly, in an attempt to cover up any hint of apprehension he may be feeling.

Zoro swears under his breath and all traces of nervousness Sanji may have had vanish instantaneously.

“Oh?” Sanji questions, voice somehow even more smug than before. He cups his ear, “I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch that. Would you care to repeat that for me?”

Zoro mumbles something under his breath again, refusing to meet Sanji’s eye.

“Speak up, dear marimo. Come on now, don’t be shy.”

Zoro lifts his head, only to glare daggers at Sanji. “For fucks sake. I said 77!”

Sanji can’t help but beam, his eyes crinkling in laughter as Zoro deepens his scowl. Oh Sanji’s absolutely loving this, and he’s not going to waste even a sliver of an opportunity to mock the overconfident swordsman. “Hmmm the last time I checked, 77 is less than 79 which would mean that I won? Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh shut the fuck up cook! You won ok!” he exclaims, shoving Sanji with his shoulder. “God, I can’t believe I have to spend the next three islands with a smug bastard like you,” he grumbles, although there’s no real malice in it.

“Hey you were the one to come up with the punishment, so really you’ve only got yourself to blame.” Sanji argues. His steps falter slightly as swears he catches a hint of a smile on Zoro’s face at this before he’s back to his trademark scowl.

“Whatever. Told you even shitty blondes get lucky sometimes.”

“I believe the term you used was ‘moronic’.”

Zoro glances over, briefly looking him up and down. “Nah, shitty definitely fits you better.”

“Oh you fucker!” Sanji shouts, kicking out a leg to try and trip Zoro up. Zoro retaliates by shoving himself back into Sanji, and that’s how they make the rest of the way back to the ship: kicking and shoving at each other, but with matching smiles on their faces.

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s only a month later that Zoro’s completed his punishment and, much to Sanji’s shock, Zoro playing pack mule for those three islands went surprisingly smoothly. Sanji’s not going to lie, he expected a little bit of resistance since it was against his will, but Zoro was…pleasant to be around. There really is no other way to describe it.

They, or rather Sanji, talked about recipes he was planning on making with the new ingredients they picked up. All the while Zoro listened, occasionally interjecting with a question or comment. Sure he would scoff and roll his eyes any time Sanji flirted with the beautiful stall owners, but other than that he kept his mouth blissfully shut. They had lunches in bars where they would eye some of the… stranger occupants and make up stories about them as they shared a drink. Sanji would ask for Zoro’s opinions on samples, and even though Zoro’s responses were mainly grunts, he was able to accurately gauge the man’s opinion. 

It was going so well that after the second island Sanji let Zoro help him put stuff away in the pantry for him. And after the third he let Zoro have the code to his precious fridge under the strict order that if even one thing goes missing from it then Sanji will cook up Zoro’s balls and force feed them to him.

And well, when they reached what would have been the fourth island, Sanji resigned himself to seeing Zoro meander off the ship without him. So imagine his surprise when he found Zoro waiting for him by the gangplank, bags already in hand. At Sanji’s questioning, and extremely confused look, Zoro simply shrugs in response. 

“I get food and decent alcohol for free while also getting to work out by carrying the excessive amount of shit you buy. All of that just about outweighs having to put up with your prissy ass.”

Sanji squints at him disbelievingly, but is unable to get a clear read on the man as he’s already averted his eye. His suspicion not fully satisfied but choosing not to look a gift horse, or well, gift mule in the mouth, he lets it go.

He makes his way to Zoro, patting the man on the shoulder as he passes him. “Come along then mossy, maybe we can look for a bell for you or something so I know when you start to wander off.” He pauses, turning around to face the man. He screws his face up and cups his chin with his thumb and forefinger in an exaggerated pensive look. “Ooooh actually, how do you feel about a collar with ‘If found, please return to The Strawhats– he only bites when provoked’ written on it?”

The harsh shove that has him stumbling backwards and the mumbled “fucking bastard” is well deserved, but it’s the small chuckle that follows that has him smiling like an idiot and looking forward to every errand run in the future.

Notes:

Hello and welcome to my 2nd Zosan fic! This one is basically pure fluff with Zosan being their usual dumb Zosan selves. The fic is all written but edits just need to be made to the other two chapters.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy it and any comments/feedback is welcome.

Thank you to Soup for the beta! And you can find me on Twitter and Bluesky where I ramble a load of rubbish. Thank you again! 💚💙

Chapter 2

Summary:

Zoro tries again in Little Garden 2.0.

If Sanji was hoping that his feelings for the swordsman would decrease over time until he was left with nothing but a warm memory, then he’s sadly mistaken. If anything his feelings have gotten even more intense, and he’s finding it increasingly difficult to not show even a slight inkling to the man of his affections.

By the time the next bet rolls around Sanji’s sure that everyone on the crew can tell that his heart has taken up residence within Zoro’s chest. It’s the sly looks that Nami gives him whenever they go off ship together, the chuckling he hears from Franky and Usopp while him and Zoro spar, the love ballads Brook has come to play more often than not, and the awkward thumbs up from Jinbe that the older man occasionally throws at him. 

Chopper once sat him down in the infirmary, looking rather uncomfortable for once, before pulling out a book called ‘The Magic Between Two Men: Now You See it, and Now You Don’t’. Sanji took one look at it, said ‘absolutely fucking not’ and stress cooked the rest of the day: something that continued well into the night. Robin is more subtle with her looks, but Sanji already figured she’d be the first to know about his feelings– hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if she knew about them before he did.

One day, not long after Sanji had figured out just how deep his feelings for the stupid marimo ran, Luffy found him in the galley trying his best not to tug out his hair in frustration. Because, really, out of all the people to decide they’re the love of his life he had to choose the least romantic, sword-for-brains asshole out there. An asshole who has a heart that’s far too big, who will stop at nothing to protect his crew, and who he sometimes catches staring at him with a look that can only be described as fond. He’s not sure if he’s imagining that last one or if it’s his brain fighting for any scrap of affection Zoro may shoot his way.

Anyway, Luffy found him in the galley and didn’t immediately demand meat which set alarm bells ringing in Sanji’s head. He sat down at the table, looking strangely serious and Sanji would be lying if he said his heart wasn’t racing by that point.

“Sanji loves Zoro,” he’d said. It wasn’t a question, and Sanji knew there was no point even trying to lie to his captain.

“Yes captain. I promise it won’t get in the way of my duties,” Sanji had replied. And that was the truth. He’d rather die than let any of his family get hurt because of him.

Luffy had nodded at this, as if he’d already known what Sanji’s answer would be. “Zoro loves Sanji,” he said next and Sanji froze at this. Because even though their captain had incredible emotional intelligence and he hated to doubt the man, this was the one thing Sanji was sure of himself.

“Sorry cap, I don’t think that’s quite right.”

“It’s right.”

“No, uh, we’re friends. That’s all,” he’d said with a wry smile.

“Well Sanji and Zoro are being stupid. But they’ll figure it out. They always do because that’s what makes them Sanji and Zoro!” Luffy had beamed, with absolutely no doubt in his voice.

Sanji didn’t have the heart to argue with him any further and simply nodded in resignation, hoping that was the end of that particular conversation. Thankfully, Luffy’s bottomless pit of a stomach chose the perfect time to announce itself, and all previous tension was lost as Luffy laughed and asked when dinner was, and Sanji was all too happy to move dinner forward by an hour. 

So yeah, everyone knows how he’s desperately in love with Zoro– except the damn bastard himself. Sanji’s partially relieved that he doesn’t know; he doesn’t want their relationship to change if Zoro were to ever find out. Like he said, he’s come to enjoy the man’s steady grounding presence. And if that were to suddenly disappear from his life? He doesn’t think he’d take to it too well.

But there’s part of him, and it really is a minuscule slither stemming from the hopeless romantic in him, that wonders what it would be like to confess to the man and have him return his feelings. He’s only slightly ashamed of the amount of nights he’s laid in bed unable to sleep, fantasizing about that exact scenario.

That’s all it’ll ever be though. A fantasy. Because like hell will Zoro ever love him back. It’s something he’s long since resigned himself to, and it only hurts a little now. He’s content with the man’s friendship, and you could even argue that in their own way they’re best friends. And Sanji’s happy with that, he truly is. However, it doesn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when the man smiles at him like some cheesy romantic cliché. Oh well.

So. The second bet. It starts with Nami saying that they’re approaching an uninhabited island– it’s small enough that they can explore it within a day and it’s a good excuse to let Luffy burn off some of his excess energy. Sanji doesn’t mind these little breaks, he likes to forage for different foods and just spend some time away from everyone. He loves the crew with his whole heart and he never wants to be fully separated from them again, but holy shit sometimes it’s nice to have no-one within 20 feet of you.

Jinbe’s expert skills make quick work of getting them docked as they pull up to the island and, to no-one’s surprise, Luffy’s slingshotted himself into the forest before Nami even has the time to tell him to be back by sundown. His loud shouts of joy means that he’ll be found quickly enough by someone, and at Nami’s demand whoever that unfortunate soul ends up being has to make sure he’s back or the ship is leaving without their captain.

A brief flash of movement catches Sanji’s eye, and he turns to spot a large rhinoceros-like animal trudging through the trees. Good, they’ve been getting a little low on meat for Sanji’s liking thanks to their gluttonous captain.

Sanji says as much as he disembarks the boat, thinking about how much time he has to be able to kill and prepare the animal for storage. He’s so wrapped up in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice the presence of overgrown plant life standing at his side until the sentient piece of moss clears his throat.

“Kinda reminds you of Little Garden huh, shit-cook?”

And isn’t that a blast from the past. He’s a little shocked that Zoro of all people is seemingly reminiscing on times gone by, but he’s more than happy to indulge the man.

“Yeah I suppose it does. That’s pretty much back where it all began isn’t it?” he muses. He hears shuffling, and looks out of the corner of his eye to see Zoro facing him. Confused, he turns to the man with a raised eyebrow. Zoro has the barest hint of a smile on his face, so tiny that unless you knew what to look for you would certainly miss it. 

“You can say that again,” Zoro says cryptically, his smile growing ever so slightly wider as Sanji’s confusion visibly grows. He doesn’t have time to ask what the hell that even means before Zoro’s speaking again. “How about we make it interesting, see how far we’ve come in these past few years?”

Now that’s piqued Sanji’s interest. His desire for competition against Zoro quickly smothers any previous train of thought. “And what exactly do you have in mind, marimo?” he grins.

“Why not the same competition we had the first time? Whoever brings back the biggest animal wins?”

Sanji thinks it over for a second. There’s plenty of room in the freezer for meat, it'll mean less money spent at the next island on supplies, and he gets to kick Zoro’s ass yet again? For once Zoro’s idea seems to have no drawbacks. “Alright mosshead.” he says, already subtly limbering up, “You’re on. What’s your punishment going to be this time hmmmm?” he questions, a devilish gleam in his eye.

Zoro snorts, eye flicking quickly to the side before meeting Sanji’s, “If I lose, I’ll be your designated dishwasher for the next month.”

Sanji hums in thought, a finger tapping against his chin, “Again, isn’t this a punishment for me?”

Zoro scoffs, “Oh please. Having me over Luffy or Franky easily makes up for the fact that it’s…me,” he trails off, suddenly a little unsure of himself.

And once again, Sanji’s not gonna admit to Zoro that even without him replacing the absolute disasters that are Mr. ‘Let’s have a water fight’ and Mr. ‘Breaks at least one dish every time’, he would be happy to have Zoro by his side every evening. He may be in love with the guy but he’d really rather not spook him off.

So he instead says, “Eh, you’ve got a point I suppose,” and chooses to ignore the small triumphant grin on Zoro’s face.

“Alright, we’ll meet back here at 5? Should give us plenty of time to store everything away.”

Sanji hates the way that Zoro saying ‘us’ so casually has his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Now’s not the time for his delusions though, he’s got a bet to win.

“And what about my punishment?” he asks when he realizes Zoro’s yet again not mentioned anything about him winning.

“I’ll figure something out.” Zoro states. Sanji’s eyes flit to the way he’s gripping Wado ever so slightly tighter. 

And there it is again. Once was suspicious, but twice? Alarms are sounding left and right in Sanji’s head. He’s certainly not going to let it slide this time.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demands. “You mean to say you haven’t even come up with a punishment when it was your idea in the first place? What, your little mossy head overheated or something?”

He’s not at all expecting the slightly panicked look Zoro’s now wearing. And he’s definitely not expecting the way a blush is slowly creeping over the man’s cheeks.

“No I just-,” Zoro stutters. Ok what the actual fuck is going on with him? He’s hardly ever seen the man stutter in his life! “No I just gotta make sure it’s a good enough punishment for a shitty curlybrow,” he snipes, shooting a glare towards Sanji. They both know it barely holds any heat, and the alarms in Sanji’s head have been joined by sirens now.

He’s about to demand Zoro to tell him what the fuck’s up with him when Luffy barrels into them both, apparently having crossed the island once already and is now on his second go around, knocking them flat on their backs. All thoughts of confronting Zoro are thrown out the window as they both shift their attention to catching their little shit of a captain whose laugh is fading into the distance as he swings from tree to tree.

They look at each other in fond exasperation before suddenly remembering that there’s a very serious bet taking place. They send one last scowl towards the other before running off in opposite directions, Zoro’s strange behavior all but forgotten in favor of hunting for the larger animal.

He’s quick to find one of the giant creatures he saw from the ship, but in a competition against Zoro? He reluctantly admits that it won’t be good enough and resigns himself to quickly moving on. However, luck must be on his side (and he refuses to think about Zoro’s previous comments on the matter) because he stumbles across a glistening lake– and drinking out of it is a rather fierce looking dinosaur.

Perfect.

He wastes no time at all scouting it out and judging where its weak point appears to be. As strong as he may be, he doesn’t want the animal to suffer. Judging it to be a spot on the underside of its neck, he moves swiftly and delivers a powerful strike to it before the animal had even noticed him. Smoothing his pants down, he mentally pats himself on the back because there’s absolutely no fucking way that the dumb algaehead has him beaten here! And that’s if he even manages to not get himself lost in the first place.

Sanji slowly starts dragging the corpse back. He has plenty of time to return, and he thinks he may even briefly go foraging for fruits once he’s dropped off his load. With a slight spring in his step he whistles some old tune that he learnt from Zeff while the man was cooking all the way back to the ship. When there’s not a single trace of a marimo having been by, he scribbles a note saying ‘Do not touch’, pins it to the dinosaur, and saunters off into the forest again.

He’s only a little shocked that when he arrives back at the ship for the second time Zoro still isn’t present. There’s only 10 minutes left until the deadline and he scoffs at the thought that Zoro’s probably somewhere on the opposite side of the island. He settles down on the ground and, after a quick trip to the galley, starts washing and preparing the fruit as he waits for Zoro to show up.

It takes another 8 minutes before Sanji hears rustling from the undergrowth to his left. He can already sense Zoro’s haki so he doesn’t falter in peeling the fruit, instead watching intently for him, and his catch, to appear.

Once he does, however, Sanji has to blink twice to make sense of what he’s seeing. And even then he rubs his one visible eye again just to make sure he’s not seeing things.

Because in Zoro’s hand, yes his hand, is the most pitiful turkey he’s ever seen in his life. Hell, he probably could have come back with Chopper and it would have been a closer battle.

Sanji’s laughter bubbles out of him before he has a chance to stop it. “Hahaha! Marimo! Holy shit what the fuck is this!” He pauses to catch his breath. “Hah! This is absolutely pathetic!” Sanji cackles, rising up off the ground so he can smugly stand beside his own catch.

Zoro growls at him, baring his teeth slightly. “Oh fuck off cook! There’s no way you took that down by yourself!”

Sanji bristles, “Of course I did you fucker! I would never cheat on a bet and you know it! Don’t be a sore loser!”

“Fine, fine, whatever. You win again, curlybrows,” Zoro acquiesces with a shrug of his shoulders.

Huh. That was easier than he expected. However, just for that previous comment he feels like riling up Zoro just a touch more. Not that he’s a sore winner or anything. He puts his hands on his hips, schooling his face into a stern look. Oh Zoro’s going to hate this. 

“Now, marimo, you best make sure your hands are sparkling clean before you even think about getting anywhere near my sink. I don’t care that you’ll be washing the dishes anyway, wash your hands beforehand! I can’t have any spores getting near the food now, can I?”

He’s rewarded for his troubles with a turkey corpse being flung directly at his face. He chuckles, diverting it with his foot so that it lands next to the dinosaur. “But before that, be a good moss and help me with the meat?” He says, voice laced with fake politeness.

“Was planning on doing that anyway, bastard,” Zoro grumbles under his breath, already making his way to where Sanji stands.

Together they make quick work of Sanji’s dinosaur, and it takes all of 1 minute to deal with Zoro’s turkey. Sanji can’t help but slip in another couple gloating remarks, which Zoro takes surprisingly well considering how completely and utterly wrecked he got. They pack everything away and Sanji’s nerves ease slightly at the sight of a full freezer. At dinner, he tells everyone that due to a disastrous loss on Zoro’s part, he’ll be doing the dishes for the next month.

He pointedly ignores the looks some of his crew send him.

Zoro disappears briefly after muttering a quick “Be right back,” leaving a slightly confused Sanji alone in the galley. Sanji shortly entertains the thought that he’s flaking on his punishment, but quickly dismisses the thought– Zoro’s not that kind of guy. He’s proven correct when Zoro walks back in not one minute later: and with freshly washed hands. Sanji stares at the man, mouth slightly ajar and butterflies churning in his stomach.

“I didn’t mean it, marimo,” he says softly, “You can just wash your hands in the sink here.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah…sorry. Didn’t think you’d actually listen to me for once.”

Zoro hums, “This is your domain. It’s not my place to argue with you about the way you do things in here. Besides,” he says, a gleam appearing in his eye, “I’ve heard that a certain type of spores are multiplying at an alarming rate this time of year.”

Oh that bastard. Making fun of him now. He swats at Zoro with a tea towel, earning a snort in response.

“Whatever mossy, let’s get started. The quicker we start the less likely it is that the kitchen will become overrun with little marimos.” They settle into an easy rhythm with Zoro washing the dishes and then passing them to Sanji to dry with the occasional mutter of one of his numerous nicknames.

This is how it goes for the whole month– there’s a comfortable, almost domestic, atmosphere as they work together. Sure they make quips at each other, and Zoro nearly choked on his spit when Sanji slipped on a wet patch and fell hard onto his ass, but it’s nice. Every now and then, after all the dishes are packed away Sanji pours them both a glass, or two, or three, of the good alcohol. They’ll settle on opposite sides of the table sometimes to talk about their latest adventures, or their time before the crew, or even on rare occasions the future. 

And if Sanji sometimes slips his glasses on (he’s started wearing them much more after catching Zoro staring at him on multiple occasions which the swordsman vehemently denies) to work on new recipes as Zoro polishes his swords, then that’s just between them.

Notes:

Woah look at them being all domestic- isn't that sweet. I do kinda want to bash their heads together though.

Only one chapter to go now aaaaaaa. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Any comments or criticism are always welcome.

Again, thank you to Soup for the beta and for fixing my numerous comma mistakes! I'm on Twitter and Bluesky where I talk a load of rubbish. Thank you again! 💚💙

Chapter 3

Summary:

They finally get that first kiss woah.

The third, and final, bet starts much the same as the second: with Nami announcing that they’re coming up on another small uninhabited island. Sanji’s with Zoro in the galley clearing away lunch when Nami’s voice comes over the speaker. They share a brief glance, putting the last of the plates away before making their way to the deck.

They’re the last ones to arrive, and with all of them gathered Nami tells everyone the plan.

“It’s an extremely small island, with a strip of beach and some woods making up the rest of the land. Considering it’s getting on in the day, and if it’s ok with Sanji-kun, I figured we could have a little rest by having a feast and bonfire on the beach and anchor here for the night.”

Sanji’s mentally cataloging their stock of food when Luffy pounces onto his shoulders.

“DID SOMEONE SAY FEAST? I WANT A FEAST. AS CAPTAIN I DECLARE WE’RE HAVING A FEAST! MAKE SURE THERE’S MEAT, SANJI!”

Figuring that they have enough to spare he agrees. “We can have a feast. It will take me about three hours to prepare if that works for you Nami-swan?” he asks, twirling around with Luffy joyfully shouting while still perched on his shoulders.

“Stupid ero-cook,” Zoro mutters under his breath. Sanji kicks a leg out during one of his spins, catching the man on the shin who grunts at the impact.

“That’s settled then. We’ll set up camp while Sanji gets the feast ready.”

Nami starts dividing jobs and Sanji takes that as his cue to leave– he’s got a lot to do after all. It’s hard work, cooking for what feels like 20 people, but Sanji relishes the challenge. Plus, cooking for the people he loves so dearly is something he’ll never find an issue with. He’s just about to reach the door when a tentative hand grips his sleeve. Looking over his shoulder he’s a little surprised to see Zoro, who almost seems just as shocked by his own actions.

“You good?” he asks, when Zoro doesn’t say anything for a second.

Zoro focuses on a spot above Sanji’s shoulder, “Uh yeah, just- are you good? Like do you need any help or anything?”

He wills down a blush at Zoro’s sweet gesture. It’s something the man seems to be doing more often recently– asking if he needs help with chores on the ship, taking some watches from him when Sanji’s reached his limit, and preventing Luffy from barging into the kitchen.

Sanji tells himself that it’s just Zoro being a considerate friend and promptly ignores how his heart feels like it’s thumping against his rib cage every time. He throws a reassuring smile at the man, “I’m good, don’t worry. I may put your freakish muscles to use and call on you for help transporting it down to the beach, but I’m good with the rest. Thanks for the offer though, marimo.”

Zoro nods, dropping Sanji’s sleeve and making a beeline for the crow’s nest. Sanji only lets his eyes linger for a moment before ducking into the kitchen; he’s got one hell of a feast to cook, after all.

Just over 4 hours later with everyone’s bellies filled to the brim with food and drink Luffy, with his endless supply of energy, declares that he wants a huge bonfire– to which everyone eagerly agrees.

And that’s how he finds himself walking next to Zoro as they make their way into the woods to get some firewood. The others have generously agreed to wash up while they’re gone, to which Sanji can’t complain since there are so many fucking dishes to clean.

“Oi, pretty-brows.”

Sanji startles slightly at Zoro’s voice, not expecting the man to break the comfortable silence they so often find themselves in.

“What, shitty swordsman?”

Zoro takes an audible breath. “I bet I can collect more firewood than you.”

Any trace of fatigue Sanji may have been feeling after cooking disappears instantly, replaced with the fire to beat Zoro at any given chance.

“Ohhh you’re really eager to lose three times in a row, huh? Sure, my masochistic marimo. I can make that happen if you so desire.” It comes out a little more…flirtatious than he intends. He figures it’s the lingering aftereffects of good food and alcohol. “And what will your punishment be this time, hmmmm?” 

Zoro stops dead in his tracks, causing Sanji to follow suit as he whirls around to face the man with a questioning brow raised. He doesn’t miss the way Zoro briefly shuts his eye as if drawing strength from somewhere. When he opens it he meets Sanji’s gaze with a piercing stare, having found whatever resolve he was looking for.

Sanji watches Zoro inhale deeply, feeling his own breath coming out quicker.

“If you lose…” Zoro trails off, swallowing in an uncharacteristic show of nervousness. Sanji’s breath hitches as he watches Zoro’s gaze fall to his lips for only a second. It’s so brief that if it weren’t for what Zoro says next, Sanji would have thought he imagined it. The man visibly steels himself, his lone eye boring into Sanji’s with an intensity that’s usually only spared for the most fearsome of enemies. 

“If you lose I get to kiss you.”

In all honesty, it takes a moment for the words to process. His first, and very fleeting thought, is that this is a joke– that Zoro knows about his feelings and is using them to land an attack in a way that’s not dissimilar to the way they spar. The thought vanishes as quickly as it comes though. Sanji knows Zoro would never be so cruel. He knows that these thoughts are the lingering effects of being told his worth, or lack of, for years and years before he finally found people who appreciate him. Who love him.

And somewhere buried deep at the back of his mind, Sanji knows that this was inevitable. The way they’ve grown closer, not just over the last couple of months but ever since Sanji saw a green-haired swordsman nearly bleed out in front of him for the sake of his dream, feels like it was destined. All those looks he’s purposely ignored, all the soft and concerned comments, the effortless way they orbit each other in any capacity. Sanji’s always been a romantic, but he’s never allowed himself to dream for love. He already has one dream, surely it’s greedy to ask for another when he already feels undeserving of the first.

But a lot can change when you have people who see you for exactly who you are and love you all the same.

So, now? Now with the way that Zoro has yet to break eye contact, a determined but still unsure look on his face. Now with the way that Zoro’s gaze softens ever so minutely as he watches Sanji’s fingers, which he always has the utmost control over, tremble as he desperately reaches into his pocket for a calming cigarette. Now with the way that there’s blood ringing in his ears and his heart is thundering in his chest drowning out any noise apart from “I get to kiss you”– it plays over and over in his head and Sanji can’t help but think it’s one of the most beautiful things he’s ever heard. Now, with all of these feelings and emotions breaking free from the cage he’s kept tightly chained up, it all feels unbelievably surreal.

And maybe it’s about time he allows himself this one thing. A second dream that fits so undeniably well with finding the All Blue that now he can’t imagine achieving one without the other.

A companion to share the rest of his life with sounds rather fucking perfect to him.

His mind is made up. Zoro took the first step, and what else can he do but match the man who’s his equal in every possible way. Sanji’s honesty is the very least he deserves. He inhales shakily, taking one last long drag of his cigarette. He wills his voice to come out strong and to not give away the way his heart is still slamming in his chest.

“Alright marimo, you’ve got yourself a bet.”

Zoro beams at him, it’s almost childlike in its innocence and it makes Sanji’s breath stutter.

“Meet back here in 20 minutes?” Sanji asks. He doesn’t think he can take any longer than that.

“See you in 20 minutes, curls.” And with that, Zoro disappears into the undergrowth, leaving Sanji to stumble in the opposite direction.

Looking back, he barely remembers picking any wood up. He knows he was careful checking for disgusting little bugs, but that’s it. By the time 20 minutes is up he’s got a substantial, but by no means large, pile of wood in his arms. Unable to fish out a cigarette, he anxiously taps his foot as he waits for the arrival of the swordsman.

At the sound of a twig breaking Sanji snaps his head towards the noise, seeing Zoro emerge from the trees. He’s panting heavily, the man clearly having gone all out on his endeavor. However, it was seemingly all for naught as Sanji unquestionably has the larger amount of wood.

He’s about to rub it in Zoro’s face when he catches a glimpse at the man’s expression. Instead of the anger and frustration that’s usually there after a loss, there’s an unsure scowl on his face. If Sanji had to use one word to describe it he’d say he almost looks…heartbroken. 

Sanji absolutely despises it; he wants it gone immediately. He never wants to see Zoro look so unsure of himself ever again. 

Which is why he doesn’t even think about what he does next.

Without breaking eye contact, giving him a perfect view of the way Zoro’s expression turns into one of confusion, he drops his pile of wood onto the ground, lights his leg on fire, and promptly sets it all alight.

They both watch in a tense silence, neither daring to break it, as the sticks are quickly reduced to ash.

Eventually, as the flames calm down slightly, Sanji braves a look at Zoro and (rather preciously) he looks just as confused as before. His mouth is slightly open, he’s covered in leaves and twigs, and he has no fucking right to look as cute as he does.

Hot. Sanji means hot. No. Dumb. Dumb is definitely what he means– oh whatever. It’s time to get this over with.

“Oh no. It appears that I’ve lost,” Sanji deadpans.

It’s cute (yes he’ll admit it ok) the way Zoro startles at the sound of his voice. He’s just about managed to suppress a chuckle as a rather wild eye meets his own.

Sanji can almost see Zoro’s one brain cell working overtime to try and make sense of his actions. He would tease the man but he’s finding that his mouth is kinda dry, and he’s sincerely struggling to form even a single word. Must be the weather.

All of a sudden Zoro advances on him. Within a second he’s standing in front of Sanji with barely an inch of space between them. 

“You lost.”

“Yes I did. Good to know that one eye of yours still works.”

Zoro snorts, not even attempting to dignify him with a response. “I’m gonna claim my prize now.”

“About fucking time. It was gonna expire if you waited-”

Sanji doesn’t get to finish that sentence. He can’t even be mad at the interruption when there’s a surprisingly soft pair of lips pressed firmly against his. And when a large pair of hands, capable of so much destruction only in the name of the people he loves, come up to gently frame his face he’s completely forgotten what he was going to say in the first place.

They kiss for what feels like hours, yet is probably only minutes. Their tongues intertwine and roaming hands are touching anywhere they possibly can. At some point Zoro has pushed him up against a tree, and he uses this new leverage to slip a leg in between Sanji’s. The moan that escapes Sanji is positively sinful, and the noise seems to spur Zoro on even further. He starts kissing down Sanji’s jaw, latching onto a spot on Sanji’s neck and sucking a bruise onto it that Sanji will be sure to chastise him for later, but strangely enough can’t find himself to care about at the moment.

“God I’ve wanted to do this for so fucking long,” Zoro groans against Sanji’s neck, almost making his knees buckle. “Can’t believe those stupid bets actually worked.”

Sanji pauses, Zoro’s words catching up to him. He reluctantly detaches Zoro’s mouth from his neck, ignoring the man’s whine as he levels the man with a look that’s laced with nothing but suspicion. “What do you mean ‘actually worked’?”

Zoro pales, suddenly looking everywhere that isn’t Sanji. One of his hands leaves Sanji’s neck and comes to rest against the back of his own in a gesture that can only be described as anxious. It’s a little insane how quickly Sanji misses its warmth.

“Oi cactus-head, what the hell do you mean by that?

“Ah it’s nothing, really,” he mumbles.

It really is like a lightbulb going off in his head when it all clicks into place. “Did you- wait hold on a minute.” He pinches his nose for a second before dropping his hand to fix Zoro with an accusatory glare. “Are you seriously saying that you- the guy who tried to cut off his own ankles to get free, the guy who takes hit after hit and gets back up every time because your stubbornness is one to rival mine– are you seriously telling me that you lost the bets on purpose? Forgive me for being a little skeptical, my darling marimo,” he says, silently vowing to use the pet name as much as possible as the tips of Zoro’s ears turn red, “but it all seems rather out of character.” 

The stifled silence that follows is all the answer Sanji needs but he still wants to hear it from the fucking romantic bastard himself.

“Marimo. I asked you a question.”

The silence from Zoro lingers as he furiously inspects the tree bark next to Sanji’s head.

“Zoro.”

The use of his government name triggers a wince, and Sanji catches him stealing a quick glance before he swiftly looks away again. Zoro’s shoulders slump in defeat as he resigns himself to answering.

“Yes,” he mumbles, his grip tightening on the back of his neck. When Sanji doesn’t interject, instead patiently waiting (for once) for Zoro to spill the whole story, he reluctantly continues. “I don’t know. I guess I was getting a little impatient. The witch told me to try and spend more time with you-”

“Don’t call Nami-swan that.”

Zoro ignores his interruption, far too used to Sanji defending the ladies by now to even bat an eye. “-and I figured that you’d be freaked out if I asked you on a date normally so I came up with this idea. I figured all of our battles were usually close enough that there was a good chance I wouldn’t have to botch the numbers but of course you had to slack those two times,” he grumbles. Sanji would be annoyed at his jibe if it weren’t for the rather dashing shade of pink currently coloring his cheeks.

That’s… that’s an awful lot to process if he’s honest, and he takes some time to slowly start working his way through it in his head. Would he have freaked out if Zoro marched up to him in his brutish way and asked him out? Even if he just asked to hang out more in general? He’s honestly not sure. Yes he wanted to spend more time with Zoro too, but loving someone is fucking terrifying.

Couple that with his previous less-than-stellar feelings about himself, there’s a good chance he would have kicked Zoro away before he even got to finish his sentence. Thinking about it, he’s rather fucking happy that he never had to find out. That Zoro knows him well enough to come up with something that works for them.

Sanji stifles a grin as he catches Zoro once again stealing glances out of the corner of his eye. The man’s tense as hell right now, and that’s not what Sanji particularly wants after their first kiss. Especially one as memorable as theirs was.

He slowly trails a hand up Zoro’s chest, coming to rest on his chin where he gently coaxes the man to face him again. “Sooooo you threw the bets because you wanted to spend time with little old me?” he asks teasingly.

The reaction is instantaneous– Zoro’s eyebrows furrow and his eye narrows at Sanji’s taunting tone. His hand comes back to wrap around Sanji’s shoulder, pulling their chests closer together again. Ah, that’s much better already. The warmth was only gone for a moment but Sanji already knows that he’ll be craving it for the rest of his life.

“As if you didn’t just burn the wood that Nami asked you to get just because you wanted to kiss me!” Zoro retorts.

Now it’s Sanji’s turn to wince. He’d honestly kinda forgotten that Nami had asked them. And isn’t that something? Sanji, forgetting about something his precious Nami-swan requested.

“That’s different,” he murmurs, the pink on his cheeks now matching Zoro’s.

“Like hell it is!” Zoro shouts, although the trace of amusement in his voice isn’t hard to miss. “And you never did specify what you wanted if you won, so if you wanted to kiss me that fucking badly then you could have just said that, idiot!”

Ok…yeah that’s a good point actually. Maybe Zoro’s mossyness has rubbed off on him and is eating away at his brain cells as they speak. It’s the only reasonable explanation, really. Totally not that he just very badly wanted to kiss him, and any other thoughts kinda flew out of his brain like Luffy catapulting himself onto marine ships.

Desperate to at least retain some dignity, although with the way Zoro is laughing at him that ship may have long since sailed, he points his finger right in Zoro’s face. He decidedly ignores how cute it is when the man’s one eye goes cross-eyed. “It’s not my fault you’re so shit at gathering wood that even a dog playing fetch would do better! Although, really I should have known considering that all your internal compass does is point to bars and swords! Besides, burning the wood was for a greater cause! A worthy sacrifice so to speak!”

“Are you saying kissing me is worth losing a bet, ero-cook?”

That’s exactly what he’s saying. He’d lose 10, no, 20 more if he could get another kiss like that. But a) he has an inkling that maybe there doesn’t have to be any bets involved anymore and b) like hell is he letting Zoro know that!

Zoro comes even closer, his breath tickling Sanji’s ear as he whispers next to it. “Are you saying that kissing me is worth facing Nami’s wrath?”

Sanji shivers. He’s not sure if it’s from the lingering heat of Zoro’s breath or the thought of Nami’s rage when he comes back empty-handed. He reminds himself that yes, unfortunately kissing Zoro is worth it. And isn’t that a testament to how much he’s in love with the bastard. But, again, he doesn’t need to know that.

“Well you’re saying that you lost two bets just to spend time with me! You must really like me, eh my darling marimo?” His deliberate choice of words are rewarded as Zoro’s face flushes further, though whether it’s in anger or embarrassment is unclear. Sanji likes to think it’s a bit of both. 

“I just kissed you in the middle of the fucking woods! Of course I like you! I’ve been in love with you for years!”

Zoro’s mouth snaps shut with an audible click, the red on his cheeks deepening into a shade that reminds Sanji of a ripe tomato.

“L-love?” Sanji squeaks.

Zoro sighs, tightening his grip around Sanji as if he’s afraid it will be the last time. Which, looking back, is a little silly considering Sanji had his tongue down his throat not 5 minutes ago. He meets Sanji’s gaze with a small, incredibly fond, smile that can’t be described as anything other than love. Sanji wonders how many times he’s missed this particular look directed at him. How many times he fooled himself into believing he’d imagined it.

He vows to never miss one again.

“Yeah. Love. I’m in love with you, Sanji.” He drops one of his hands to grasp Sanji’s own, running his thumb over the back of his knuckles. “What’s there not to love about you? You- you’re unlike anyone I’ve met before. Sure, you’re an irritating prissy cook who smokes too much, swears like an absolute sailor which I guess is kinda apt, and flirts far too much for a guy in his twenties.” He takes a breath, gripping Sanji’s hand a little tighter when he goes to interrupt.

“But you’re frustratingly also the most self-sacrificial bastard I’ve ever known. You’d do anything and everything if it meant the people you care about are safe. I’m not telling you to change that because that’s who you are. Sure I’d like you to value yourself more but that’s something we can work on. I want to be the one who makes sure that you’re safe. You deserve just as much love and care as you give out, and I will quite happily spend the rest of my life trying to give you that,” Zoro finishes calmly, as if he hasn’t just shattered Sanji’s whole view of himself into a million pieces.

“Right. Well,” he sniffs, hoping it’s not too obvious that he’s trying to hold back tears. He refuses to cry right now. The marimo would gloat about it forever and he doesn’t want to be all snotty when he kisses the ever living fuck out of him in just a second.

“You alright there love-cook? Thought you were meant to be the romantic one out of the two of us,” Zoro chuckles, bringing their faces closer together.

Sanji blames the heat from Zoro’s furnace-like body that he’s currently clutching onto for the way his thoughts are currently scrambled. And he’ll blame it on the way the hand that’s not currently holding onto his own is gently running up and down his back for the one and only thought his brain latches onto, blurting it out before he can even think about it.

“I’m in love with you too, Zoro,” he whispers against Zoro’s lips. It may seem insignificant when put against Zoro’s declaration, but he knows the man is able to read in between the lines.

After all, he’s always known Sanji best. 

He smashes their lips back together before Zoro gets the chance to respond, and he feels Zoro smile against his own before he’s had quite enough of thinking and opens his mouth to invite Zoro’s tongue in. They’re back to mapping out each other’s mouth within seconds and it’s absolutely fucking glorious.

After another indeterminate amount of time passes, Sanji reluctantly pulls away before he seriously considers having their first time on the floor of some dirty woods. Another 10 seconds of making out and he honestly thinks he would have straddled Zoro right there and then and considering that there’s a high chance of, ugh, bugs being present it shows just how desperate he was getting.

Although judging by the sword-shaped object (that a quick glance down confirms is definitely not one of the three Zoro keeps attached to him) he figures they’re just about as bad as each other.

They’re both catching their breath, foreheads pressed together in a way that’s always been comforting when Zoro decides to be the unromantic oaf Sanji’s come to know and, rather unfortunately, love. 

“Honestly thought you were gonna let me ruin one of your prissy suits there for a second, cook.” He smirks, shamelessly ogling said suit right in front of Sanji’s eyes.

Sanji wills a blush down, instead butting their foreheads together. “There will be absolutely no ruining of suits on any occasion. If even a single button goes missing then Nami’s debt will be the least of your worries. Do I make myself clear?” he sniffs.

Zoro searches his gaze before backing off. “Crystal clear, princess,” he huffs, his tone is anything but sincere. And well, for once Sanji lets this one slide—it was only the principle of the matter anyway. Because if he has a couple of older suits that don’t fit him perfectly anymore, and if the thought of Zoro ripping his clothes off him has the back of his nose tingling then that’s no-one’s business but his.

And Zoro’s in the future he assumes (hopes).

“S’pose we better start heading back,” Zoro says, rudely snapping Sanji out of his rather lovely daydream. As Zoro goes to walk off Sanji politely clears his throat causing the man to turn back around and fix him with a raised eyebrow. Refusing to feel embarrassed, Sanji holds out his hand to the marimo.

“So you don’t get lost,” he clarifies, absolutely lying through his teeth. 

He’s pleasantly surprised when all he receives in return is a fond roll of one eye. Permission seemingly granted, Sanji greedily snaps up Zoro’s hand—now he’s had a taste of the mosshead he knows it’s going to be impossible to give up.

“So I don’t get lost, eh? That’s the best you could come up with?”

Sanji swats at him with his free hand. “Oh shut up my directionally challenged marimo. Even if I didn’t have ulterior motives I’d need to keep an eye on you anyway, lest you end up in Laugh Tale or some ridiculous shit like that. This is a win-win situation as far as I’m concerned.” He punctuates his point with a squeeze to Zoro’s hand, who instead of verbally answering chooses to stroke his thumb over Sanji’s knuckles, effectively causing his brain to malfunction rather spectacularly.

Bastard.

They start walking back, their fingers intertwined and the wood forgotten about for now. Sanji will grovel for Nami’s forgiveness later, but he figures she may let this one slide once he tells her the news. And by let it slide he means only increase their debt by 20% instead of 25%.

He sneaks a swift look at Zoro’s expression and is nearly blindsided by the soft and unguarded smile he’s wearing. It’s one that’s usually reserved for the crew when he thinks they’re not looking.

Sanji was almost always looking though. The soft bastard.

Zoro notices his staring, turning to him with a questioning raised brow. The smile doesn’t drop, if anything it grows bigger, and Sanji briefly wonders if he needs to go see Chopper with the way his heart keeps skipping a beat. 

Sanji shakes his head, squeezing Zoro’s hand just a bit tighter as a response. They continue on for a minute or so more in comfortable silence. Sanji can’t help but think about what finally got them to this moment after what’s apparently been a few years of extreme mutual pining. It’s only after really thinking about the events of the last few months that he’s hit with a sudden question— one that definitely needs answering or it’ll drive Sanji insane. 

“So how many marines did you actually take down during the first bet?”

“Hmmm?” Zoro hums. He’s clearly content right now and Sanji can’t help but liken him to a pampered cat. “Oh I think it was two more than you,” Zoro says casually.

Sanji bristles slightly, “And the animal?”

“Oh mine would have been at least twice the size of yours. I only knocked it out though, and only after it tried to kill me, since I know how you feel about wasting food, and then I just killed the first thing I came across on the way back.”

Sanji’s creeping anger disperses in a second and is instead replaced by a sense of flattery. Fuck, he didn’t think it was possible but he’s a little more in love than he was just 10 seconds ago after finding out that Zoro not only threw the bets for him, but was still thinking of him all throughout the process too. I mean it makes sense considering Zoro’s apparently in love with him (and isn’t that just something?), but the thought still warms his whole body. 

Maybe he’ll up the marimo’s brain cell count from one to two while he’s thinking about it.

“Fine, whatever. No more throwing bets though, ok?”

“Pshhh, I don’t plan on ever losing one again. Your arrogant grin was insufferable.” He turns to face him, and Sanji narrows his eyes at the cocky grin the other man is sporting. “Although we both know that I barely have to try to beat you anyway.”

All the warm and fuzzy feelings coursing through Sanji are quickly replaced with a white hot anger. It’s quite incredible how quickly the man is able to get under his skin.

Sanji butts their foreheads together, an audible smack echoing through the woods. “Excuse me sword-for-brains? You’re acting as if you didn’t nearly collapse like an hour ago and I still wiped the floor with you!”

Zoro presses back against Sanji, meeting his fiery glare head on with one of his own. “I was fucking nervous ok! I didn’t know if I’d just ruined everything between us or if I was maybe gonna finally be able to fucking kiss you, stupid dartbrow!”

Sanji’s anger subsides immediately because how the hell is this goddamn beast of a man so adorable? Seriously, he’s getting whiplash with these quick changes of emotions. But he supposes it’s always been like that with them, one moment they’re at each other’s throats and the next they’re back-to-back and feeling like they could take on the world. He always thought that maybe it was just him that felt the security that the other brings, so to know that the feeling is mutual? He can’t even begin to put it into words. The romantic inside him is shaking his head in despair. He’s been thoroughly out-romanced by a mossbrained moron, but strangely enough? He doesn’t even care right now.

Said mossbrained moron is currently eyeing him warily. Has he mentioned that Sanji finds him really fucking cute under all that delicious muscle? He pecks the man on the lips and is delighted at the way he flushes again. So. Fucking. Cute.

“Hey Marimo?” Sanji asks, voice filled to the brim with the love that he’s spent so long suppressing.

“Yeah?” Zoro asks, suspicion lacing his voice as he raises an eyebrow.

Sanji grins in a way that is only privy to them. In a way that only they share. “Race you back to the beach. Winner gets a kiss.”

The grin that Zoro breaks out into is something that Sanji will treasure for the rest of his life. The pure adoration on his face knocks the wind right out of him. 

“You’re on,” Zoro laughs, returning the peck and briefly swiping his tongue over Sanji’s bottom lip before turning and breaking out into a full on sprint.

And considering the fact that they stubbornly refuse to let go of each other’s hands the whole way back? They call it a draw.

However, that doesn’t stop them from stumbling over the threshold with their smiling lips locked together and whispered promises of forever against each other’s skin.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading my 2nd Zosan fic and I hope you enjoyed Zoro and Sanji being idiots in love (mainly idiots). Any comments or feedback are more than welcome!

Huge thanks to Soup for the beta and for fixing all the times I gave Zoro two working eyes. I'm on Twitter and Bluesky if you would like to follow me where I sometimes write Zosan threads but more often than not just shout into the void.

Thank you again for reading! 💚💙